Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Was thinking about how traditional a haunt should be. Every Halloween morning, when I first start building the display, I spend a significant amount of time arranging cornstalks and pumpkins. I need my haunt to feel like Halloween before I even consider placing any groundbreakers, witches, or scarecrows. If the Traditional side of your haunt is covered, it'll enhance the entire display, regardless of the theme. Leaves, cornstalks, and jack 0'lanterns can make a haunt totally memorable in the absence of any homemade or store-bought props.

I joked last year with Bean telling her that I wished someone would tell me that I wasn't allowed to use any props at all in my display - just natural elements. That'd be a really neat exercise in building a haunt.

Although I don't do a traditional haunt, mostly because the house lends itself to a graveyard so very well, I have to say that lately I have been morning the loss of all the traditional props that I gave away when I decided to stick strictly to the graveyard theme.

It was timely to see your post as that I am toying with the idea of decorating my back gated garden area with the pumpkins, corn stocks and the scarecrow that I miss so much. Missing all those elements for the last three years has felt a little less like Halloween to me. I know that does not make any sense...but then I rarely do. :)

I agree. Throughout the year after a storm I go around picking up large broken branches that have fallen. I just dont pick up anything either. They have to look natural and scary. I have a large collection under my porch. I will pull them all out and make arrangements. If one does not work it goes back under the porch.

Hey Rot, do you always set up on Halloween morning? I usually like to set up a couple weeks ahead of time to get it dialed in and enjoy it a little bit. Do you sketch stuff out prior or do you just know in your mindseye what you want to do. I find myself sketching stuff all the time, even in April.

BTW, I think that you make a good point with the traditionalism point. You need to establish your 'stage' prior to setting it up. Last year my front yard tree still had alot of leaves and it just killed me, it didnt look dead and I didnt get many leaves from it either.

o.k. this year you can only use one man made prop...create the DARKEST scarecrow you can think of. the rest has to be all natural.:)you should start keeping a journal of all the "HAUNT THEORIES" that you come up with and when you think you have enough, put them in a book form.

I think the idea of an all natural, no store-bought Halloween haunt would be creepiest of all. Think of that scene from Blair Witch with the twig bodies hanging suspended from the trees in the fading light, with minimal or no sound? That was really creepy. And Rot with your talent in building earthen type creatures it would be spectacular.

Old post, I know. I've been commenting on plenty of old posts recently.

I will be making an all-natural, no-prop haunt this year, at the end of April. Why April? I live in the Southern Hemisphere, so Halloween is in spring over here. Ick. I will also be doing my real halloween haunt, this is just a thing on the side. Plus the real haunt this year will have no organic elements, so I kinda need this.

Anyway, so it's just a little spooky trail in my back yard leading to the shed door. You could walk the whole thing in seven seconds if you wanted. There's tons of dried up vines and plants, sticks everywhere, there will be little blair witch things and plenty of luminaries and jackos Focus on atmosphere. Ultra-traditional. So far, it's looking awesome.

Let me know what you think rot, any advice? I might even email some progress photos if you want.

And PLEEEEAAASSSEEE post up another Haunt Theory before the month is out. Just copy and paste one from the book draft itself. We'd all love you this much *stretches arms out as far as possible, strained look on face*.